


Girls Will Be

by theleaveswant



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Apologies, Bathrooms, Bechdel Test Ficathon, Gen, Pranks and Practical Jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-20
Updated: 2012-01-20
Packaged: 2017-10-29 19:52:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/323540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theleaveswant/pseuds/theleaveswant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ann confronts April about her childish pranks and the need to work together on Leslie's campaign</p>
            </blockquote>





	Girls Will Be

**Author's Note:**

> Answers a prompt left by winninghearts at the [2012 Bechdel Test Comment Ficathon](http://penny-lane-42.livejournal.com/244264.html)

Ann tries not to let her suspicion show as she reaches for the coffee April has brought her, rotating the tray and grunting when she reaches for a cup. She smiles at April and thanks her, then gasps when coffee shoots out of the pinprick hole in the bottom of the paper cup and squirts all over her pants and sweater. She puts the cup down on the desk and breathes deeply through her nose, then pushes the cup off into the garbage can on the floor and goes to the bathroom to clean up.

She's still there, trying to soak the stains out of her alpaca sweater with wet paper towels, when April pushes through the door, sees her, and immediately turns to leave again.

"Wait," Ann says, "April, please. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"About what?" April says and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Look, April, I know you and I don't really get along very well . . ." She pauses, giving April the opportunity to interrupt her but she just stares back and scuffs the sole of her shoe on the bathroom floor. "I had hoped that that might change as we got to know each other better, but so far . . . Is this all because I used to--"

"This has nothing to do with him."

"Okay," Ann nods, "then why?"

"Because you're annoying and perfect and everybody loves you. Except me. I hate you."

"Right." Ann blinks. "You don't hate Leslie, though, do you?"

April looks like she's thinking about this. "No, I don't hate Leslie."

"And you understand that Leslie needs us all to work together to try to pull her campaign out of the toilet, right?"

"Of course I understand that." April frowns.

"Then why do you keep picking on me?" April blinks like she has no idea what Ann's talking about; Ann gestures with a paper towel at her ruined clothes. "You poked a hole in the bottom of my coffee cup?"

"No I didn't."

"April--"

"I poked a hole in the bottom of Tom's coffee cup. You took the wrong one. I tried to warn you but I couldn't say anything out loud without tipping him off."

"Oh," Ann says, blinking, but April is still talking.

"And the whoopie cushion yesterday was meant for Ben. I thought you were going to sit on Leslie's other side."

"So you're not picking on me?"

April shakes her head. "Sorry . . . I guess."

"That's fine--I'm sorry for accusing you." Ann gives up on dabbing at her sweater and starts fanning air at it to dry it instead as she heads towards April and the door. "What I said about Leslie needing us all to work together still holds, though. Pulling pranks on Ben and Tom isn't really, well."

"Whatever," April says and rolls her eyes. She holds out a hand. "Truce?"

Ann feels her face light up too fast for her to control or conceal it. "Truce," she agrees, and gasps again when April pulls her into an awkward half-hug and pats her stiffly on the back.

She's so touched by the friendly gesture that she floats out of the bathroom and halfway down the hall before she thinks to check her back for taped-on signage, but her frown barely has a chance to form before it evaporates again when she reads the block caps the scrap of Parks department letterhead:

HUG ME (ASK FIRST)


End file.
